Air pump



ly 1953 H. G. MAIERHOFER AIR PUMP Filed May 25, 1949 INVENTOR.

m m Q m w .1 M M m Patented July 14,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR PUMP Hans G. Ma ie rhofer, New York, N. Y.

Application May 25, 1949, Serial N 0. 95,261

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in pumps and more particularly to improvements in air pumps.

In copending application Serial No. 47,909, filed September 4, 1948, for a Diaphragm Actuated Pump, now abandoned, there is described an air pump having a valve head communicating with inlet and outlet valves. Over the valve head is an elastic diaphragm actuated by a driven eccentric which forces air out of the head on the down movement thereof and draws air into the head when the diaphragm returns to the normal posi tion. Subsequently it was found that the operation of the pump could be materially improved. by providing a means for aiding the diaphragm in returning to the normal position, in relocating the air intake port, and in providing shock absorbing means between the eccentric and driver and for the driver.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a diaphragm operated air pump for operation at higher speeds than heretofore possible.

Another object is to provide a diaphragm operated air pump in which vibration has been reduced to a minimum.

Other objects of the instant invention wil lbecome apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of these objectives, the pump is constituted of an elastic diaphragm mounted over inlet and outlet valves. The valves are so arranged that onthe downward movement of the diaphragm air is forced through the outlet valve into a compressed air storage tank or the like, and on the upward movement is drawn through the inlet valve under the diaphragm. An eccentric coupled with a prime mover actuates the diaphragm which is aided on the upward movement thereof by a spring member. By taking the air from the outside and around the outer surface of the diaphragm prior to being drawn thereunder, the pump is designed to operate at high speeds without overheating, and by connecting the shaft of the prime mover to the eccentric with a shock absorbing coupling and mounting the prime mover on a shock absorbing member vibration and resulting noise and wear and tear has been materially decreased.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view of the pump unit connected to a prime mover with the pump unit.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate 2 like parts, reference numeral l0 indicates the pump unit, and l I the prime mover for the pump unit.

Thepump unit I!) comprises a base l2 at one end of which is a housing I 3 of circular cross section or other as desired and integrally formed therewith or otherwise attached to the base l2. The housing I3 is divided into an upper compartment I l and a lower compartment [5 by the integrally formed partition member iii. The top of the housing [3 may be removable along the line H or the like for servicing the pump mechanism described later. At the bottom of the housing I3 is an opening l8 communicating with the outside and with the lower compartment l5 while through the partition member I6 is an air passageway 19 communicating with the upper and lower compartments.

, In the upper compartment l4 and on the partition member 16 is an upwardly extended integrally formed member 20 which has an integrallyformed upwardly directed rim 2| along the upper periphery as shown to provide a dishlike receptacle 22. In the base of the receptacle 22 is an air inlet valve 23 which controls the opening and closing of the communication passageways 24, 25, and 26 which lead to the interior of the upper compartment [4 as shown in Figure 3. Also in the base of the receptacle 22 is an air outlet valve 21 which controls the opening and closing of the connected passageways 28, 29, and 30 leading to a compressed air tank or thelike, but not shown, the passageway 29 being of enlarged diameter. In the base of the enlarged passageway 29 is a removable stop 3! for removing and inserting the Valve 27.

Over the rim of the dish-like receptacle 22 is an elastic diaphragm 32 held securely in position thereover by any suitable fastener 33 in a groove 34a circumferentially formed around the member 29 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Over the elastic diaphragm 32 is a plate 34 of smaller fastened as desired to the inner surface of the upper compartment M and which is designed to exert an upwardly directed force on the diaphragm 32 whereby the same is aided in a rapid return to the normal position when displaced.

Obviously, the plate 34 and the spring member 35 could be made in one piece.

Coacting with the elastic diaphragm 32 or plate 34 or the spring member 35 or any combination of the same is the eccentric drive 36 which consists of a wheel 31 keyed or pinned to a shaft 38 but off the center line thereof as most clearly 3 seen in Figure 2. The shaft 38 may be rotatably supported in the housing l3 by any suitable bearing means as shown.

At thefopbosite end of the base 12 is a prime mover "I i which may be an electric motor, the shaft 39 of which is releasably coupled to the shaft 38 by any suitable shock absorbing coupling 40 so that the vibration set up by the "eccentric drive 36 is materially lessened heiore reaching the shaft 39 of the prime mover H To even further reduce vibration, the prime moyer l I may be mounted upon a shock absorbing member 4| of any suitable material and is releasably held to the base l2 by the screws 42 and 43 and the like.

In operation:

As the eccentrically mounted wheel 31 is .1- tated by the primemover II, the diaphragm 32 is moved alternately downwardly by the wheel and upwardly by the elasticity ofthe diaphragm aided by the spring membe'r'35. Of course, the elastic diaphragm could be used without the spring member. On the downward movement of the diaphragm, the air contained in the dishlike receptacle 2 unseats the outlet valve 2". to pass through the passageway 23, thence into the passageway 29, and finally out of the passageway 30 to acompressed air tank (not sho wn On the upward movement of the diaphragm, the outlet valve 2'! automatically closes andair is drawn into the dish-like receptacle from the outside, first through the opening '13, thence through the passageway 59, and upward around the mechanism to'the inlet of the passageway 2 i, thence through the passageway 24, 25 and 26 through the unseated inlet valve 23 to enterthe dish:

like receptacle where it momentarily remains pending the repetition of the cycle. By the use of the spring member 35, the diaphragm 32 is capable of very rapid operation by the eccentrically mounted wheel 3! as well as long life, by bringing the air from the outside and around the mechanism heat has been reduced which further aids high speed operation and by the introduction of the shOk absorbing members vibraon as been mate ia l c d whin even u ther aids operation at a high R. P. MI and increases the useful life of the device.

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way or limitation and that the structures above described are subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention, all of which'variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is: Y

1. An air pump comprising a housing, a partition for the housin dividing the interior thereof into an upper and a lower compartmenfithe partition having formed thereon a rim on the side of the upper compartment" and extending upwardly'the'rein, the partition having fcimed therein a passageway intermediate the chambers and a second passageway intermediate the interior of the rim and the interior of the upper compartment and a third passageway intermediate the interior of the rim and the outside of the housing, an inlet valve disposed in the second mentioned passageway, an outlet valve disposed in the third mentioned pasageway, means, for introducing air into the lower compartment, an elastic diaphragm disposed over the rim, and

means for vibrating the diaphragm.

2. An air pump comprising a housing, the housing having formed therein a partition dividing the interior thereof into an upper ,anda lower ,a second passageway interconnecting the interior of the receptacle with the interior of the upper chamber and a third passageway interconnecting-the interior of the receptacle with the outside of the housing, an intake valve disposed in the second mentioned passageway and an outlet valve disposed in the third mentioned passageway, a flexible diaphragm disposed over the receptacle, a plate disposed on the diaphragm adjacent the marginal edges thereof and on the side of the upper chamber, a leaf spring coacting with the plate and diaphragm, means for securing one end of the leaf spring to the plate and the opposite end to the inner surface of the upper compartment, and eccentric means within the upper compartment in operable engagement with the end of the leaf spring on the plate.

3. An air pump comprising a housing open at both ends, a base member disposed over one end of the housing, a cover member removably disposed over the opposite end of the housing, a partition disposed the housing intermediate the base and co ver members and dividing the interior of the housing into an upper and a lower compartment, the partition havihg formed thereon a dish-like receptacle upwardly directed in the upper compartment, the receptacle having formed substantially in the bottom thereof an inlet port and an outlet port in spaced relationship, an inlet valve disposed in the inlet port, an outlet valve disposed in the outlet port, the partition having a passageway formed thereinintermediate the upper and. lower compartments and a second passageway intermediate the inlet port and the interior of the upper chamber at apoint adjacent the bottom of thereceptacle, the partition further having formed therein a third passageway intermediate theoutlet port and the lower compartment, the diameter of the third mentioned passageway being enlarged adjacent the lower compartment, the partition fnrther having a fourth passageway intermediate the third mentioned passageway of enlarged diameter and the outside of the housing, means in the lower compartment for removably closing the enlarged portion of the third mentioned pas,- sageway, an elastic diaphragm disposed over the receptacle, and an eccentric in operable engage: m rit with the diaphragm disposed in the upper compartment.

HANS a feren e t d n the fil o this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,206,943 Tarbet Dec. 5, 1916 1,339,563 Johnson 55 11, 1926 1,350,926 Franc Aug. 24, 1920 1,445,617 Jehli set. 13, 19-23 1,448,506 Prellwit Mar. 13, 1923 1,458,894 Schwarz V June 1 2, 1923 1,791,261 Ballman Q at; 3 ii FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 733,959 France on??? 1932 

